THE PIONEERS: AS SABIQOON………….9:100

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وَٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُهَـٰجِرِينَ وَٱلۡأَنصَارِ وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحۡسَـٰنٍ۬ رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡہُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمۡجَنَّـٰتٍ۬ تَجۡرِى تَحۡتَهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَآ أَبَدً۬اۚ ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ (١٠٠)

And the first to lead the way, of the Muhajirin and the Ansar, and those who followed them in goodness – Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He hath made ready for them Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide for ever. That is the supreme triumph. (9:100)

Tafseer by Dr. Farhat Hashmi (translated from Urdu)

Sabiq: The one who moves forward, ahead of others,
As Sabiqoon: plural of Sabiq
Awaal, means the first: those who are ahead of everyone and who are from the Muhajir and Ansar. Who are these people?
From the Muhajireen: The Asabiqoon awalloon have been categorized as follows:
1.    First to accept Islam: Abu Bakr Siddiq, Zaid bin Haarisa, Abdur Rahman bin Auuf, Zubair bin Awwam, Saad bin Waqaas, Talha bin Hudabi (?) and Hazrat Khadija (though she died before hijra)
2.    Those who participated in Badr
3.    Those who prayed to both Qiblas
4.    Those who participated in the treaty of  Hudaibiya
5.    In the Quran they are described as: Those who became Muslims before the victory of Mecca.

From Ansar:
1.    Those who participated in first Bait and second Bait
Those who accepted Islam from Abu Zurara, Moosa bin Umair (Scholars who were sent to Medina to teach Islam prior to Hijra)

2.    Those who followed in the footsteps of the As Sabiqoon with Ikhlaas, (till the day of Judgement) these are close to Allah and will enter Jannah, when they see the opportunity of a good deed they do it right away they do not wait. These people are far and few between. But these will be people in this category till the final day.

The reward of being As Sabiqoon in the Quran: The original pioneers and later ones is outlined here:

Allah is happy with him and they are happy with his decision and he has prepared beautiful gardens with flowing rivers where they will abide forever. They are the ones that are most successful

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And elsewhere in the Quran about the As Sabiqoon who came later and will continue to come till the Day of Judgment will be given the same reward:
Hashr 10: Those who came after the Awaal, but who are considered As Sabiqoon:
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YUSUFALI: And those who came after them say: “Our Lord! Forgive us, and our brethren who came before us into the Faith, and leave not, in our hearts, rancor (or sense of injury) against those who have believed. Our Lord! Thou art indeed Full of Kindness, Most Merciful.”

And in Surah Anfaal 75: They came later but did the same work as the Sabiqoon of earlier times
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YUSUFALI: And those who accept Faith subsequently, and adopt exile, and fight for the Faith in your company,- they are of you. But kindred by blood have prior rights against each other in the Book of Allah. Verily Allah is well acquainted with all things.
PICKTHAL: And those who afterwards believed and left their homes and strove along with you, they are of you; and those who are akin are nearer one to another in the ordinance of Allah. Lo! Allah is Knower of all things.

ARE YOU A PIONEER?